Fencing Triumphs Thrice at Ivy League Championships, Part 1

Feb 21, 2010

Senior co-captain Karl Harmenberg (pictured) picked up four
wins for the Crimson at the Ivy League Championships, Part 1.
Photo courtesy of Gil Talbot Photography.

ITHACA, N.Y.- The Harvard men's and women's
fencing teams competed at the Ivy League Championships, Part 1
today hosted by Cornell. The men wrapped up the day with a 1-1
record while the women finished with a 2-1 mark. Both squads fell
in the opening matches to Penn but managed to respond with a win
over Yale. The women also picked up a victory over Cornell.

In the first matches of the Ivy League Championships, Part 1,
the Harvard men fell to Penn, 15-12, and the women also bowed to
the Quakers, 17-10. For the Harvard women, Caroline Vloka posted a
3-0 record to help the Crimson win the sabre competition,
5-4, against Penn. The Quakers captured the foil, 7-2,
and the epee, 6-3, to take the match. On the men's side,
Harvard took the epee competition, 7-2. James Hawrot put up three
wins and Karl Harmenberg and Ben White each won two bouts in the
epee. Penn won the foil and sabre competitions, 8-1 and 5-4.

The Harvard men closed out the Ivy League Championships, Part 1
with a 16-11 win over archrival Yale. The Crimson captured the
epee, 7-2, and edged the Bulldogs in the sabre, 5-4. Yale returned
the favor by squeaking by Harvard in the foil, 5-4. Valentin
Staller and White turned in 3-0 performances for the Crimson
while Tomaso di Robilant, Harmenberg, Hawrot and Thomas
Kolasa all picked up two wins against Yale.

On the women's side, Harvard convincingly won the foil, 8-1, and
eked by Yale in the epee, 5-4. The Bulldogs picked up five wins in
the sabre and the Crimson got four. Four Harvard fencers
posted perfect 3-0 marks against Yale. Shelby MacLeod, Noam Mills,
Arielle Pensler and Vloka each won three bouts for the Crimson.

THe Harvard women concluded the event with an 18-9 victory
over host Cornell. The Crimson won all three weapons in the match.
Harvard nearly swept the sabre, 8-1, and took five bouts in the
foil and epee competitions. Hayley Levitt and Vloka each posted 3-0
records in the win. Vloka finished the day with an undefeated mark
of 9-0.

Boston bragging rights will be up for grabs, as the Crimson
returns to action, Feb. 24, to take on Boston College, Brandeis and
MIT in the Beanpot.